Trust, Facts and Democracy

Americans say the public’s trust has been declining in both the federal government and in their fellow citizens. But most say this can be turned around.

Many Americans think declining trust in the government and in each other makes it harder to solve key problems. They have a wealth of ideas about what’s gone wrong and how to fix it.

Republicans largely say fact-checking by news outlets and other organizations favors one side. Democrats mostly think it is fair to all sides.

Majorities of Americans say the tone of political debate in the country has become more negative, less respectful, less fact-based and less substantive in recent years.

A majority of Americans say altered videos and images create confusion about current issues, and most support restrictions on such content.

A little over a year ago, Pew Research Center decided to intensify its research focus on the theme of trust, facts and democracy. As part of this initiative, the Center has published more than 30 pieces of related research over the past 12 months.

Politicians viewed as major creators of it, but journalists seen as the ones who should fix it

Republicans and Democrats are particularly divided on how closely they connect made-up news to the news media or to President Trump.

Many South Africans are dissatisfied with the state of their democracy. Confidence in some civic institutions declined from 1990 to 2013.

Dissatisfaction with democracy is correlated with views on economic conditions, whether key democratic norms are being respected and other issues.